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Heeding legitimate signs is always important, but between May 1st and October 15 at Yellowstone National Park it will be particularly significant. These signs will help visitors avoid encounters with the friend-shaped but not-too-friendly member of the local fauna.

“It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs,” the national park emphasized in a recent statement. 

Yellowstone National Park is home to both grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (Ursus americanus), with 150 to 200 grizzlies spending at least some time in the park. Grizzlies are a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos). They are usually larger and, as its scientific name suggests, much more aggressive. 

The Endangered Species Act classified grizzly bears as Threatened, though their estimated population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has made a formidable comeback. In 1975 they were estimated at 136—by 2024, that had increased to 1,030. 

The park also announced that it will be capturing a few of these bears for research purposes starting this week, as part of ongoing monitoring efforts to document the grizzly bears’ recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

 “…pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park,” the statement reads. 

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) has been capturing and radiocollaring grizzly bears for half a century. Biologists with IGBST lure them to potential capture sites with natural food like road-killed elk and deer. If there is evidence of grizzlies in the vicinity, the team uses foot snares or culvert traps to catch them. Needless to say, visitors should not go wandering close to these locations. 

“Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with brightly colored warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring,” according to the statement. “These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site. It is important that the public heed these signs and do not venture into an area that has been posted.” 

In other words—follow the rules, or your day hike might become unbearable.